Jan. 10, 2014 10:28 a.m. | The Menomonee Falls Village Board on Thursday unanimously voted to not have a primary election Feb. 18 for Seats No. 1 and No. 2, opting instead to put all the candidates on the April 1 ballot.

The board opted to only have an April election in an effort to save money, according to village officials.

There are three seats open on the Village Board. Michael McDonald, Katie Kress and Chris Rolenc are in the running for Seat No. one. This seat is currently held by Sharon Ellis, who did not file for re-election.

Kevel Anderson, Timothy Newman and Christopher Smolik are running for Seat No. 2. This seat is currently vacant as it was held by James Jeskewitz, who passed away in November. Joseph Helm was the only person to file for Seat No. three, which currently belongs to Dennis Farrell. Farrell did not file candidacy.

The cost of a primary election was estimated to be $30,000, according to Menomonee Falls Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald. The board, he said, decided they don't want to pay that cost, and instead opted to put everyone's name on the April first ballot.

3:26 p.m. | Menomonee Falls — The former Starbucks location in Rivercrest Center will soon become a home to a new restaurant tenant.

The Village Board on March 2 unanimously approved a conditional-use permit that allows an addition to the northernmost tenant space in the building, which was vacated recently when Starbucks opened its new location with a drive-thru in Germantown on County Line Road.

Neighboring residents have spoken in favor of the proposed 712-square-foot addition, which would essentially fill in the existing footprint of the space, enclosing what was the patio space used by the coffee shop, with hopes to move in as soon as early spring.

3:20 p.m. | Menomonee Falls — Representatives from almost 200 companies recently gathered at Bradley Corporation in Menomonee Falls for this year's quarterly meeting of the Water Council.

Based in Menomonee Falls, the manufacturer of commercial plumbing fixtures and equipment hosted the Milwaukee-based council on Feb. 18 at Bradley's headquarters and plant in Menomonee Falls.

In addition to hosting the meeting, representatives from 166 companies related to the water technology industry had an opportunity to tour Bradley's plumbing fixtures manufacturing facility and product display centers.

With four manufacturing plants located in the U.S., Bradley's commercial plumbing products combine the newest materials and technologies with durability, user accommodation and water conservation.

"We believe that our success is directly related to the quality of our staff, and we're committed to developing this important resource by providing ongoing training, great benefits and real career opportunities," said Dave Frank, President and CEO.

10:24 a.m. | Menomonee Falls — The Menomonee Falls Plan Commission will tonight review a proposal by the Boucher Group to develop a new Kia dealership and Ford Quick Lube and Service Center near Woodman's along Highway 41/45.

Located at N81 W12920 Leon Road, the proposed commercial development is on the agenda for conceptual review.

An amendment to the comprehensive land use plan, as well as a rezoning request to allow commercial development rather than industrial as the land is now zoned, would both need approval prior to the plans moving forward. Both are on the agenda tonight as well.

March 02, 2015 8:10 p.m. | Germantown — A group of 70 village of Germantown employees will soon see a raise. For many, it will be their first in several years.

At an estimated total amount of about $68,000, the village board voted 6-3 on March 2 to approve a 1.5 percent increase to salaries and wages of non-represented employees and up to 1.5 percent for the public works and technical and clerical union employees, to be finalized in negotiations.

Though there was some disagreement between board members regarding the board's intent to eventually move to a more merit-based raise system, trustee Terri Kaminski said the 1.5 percent increase is the least the village can do in the meantime.

"I do not think 1.5 percent is a huge increase and I think our employees deserve it," said Kaminski, adding that employees in both unions have not seen raises since 2011. "When you start squabbling about 1.5 percent and you look at what the surrounding areas are paying, I think we're foolish."

Regardless of the amount in question, the lack of follow through with the merit-based concept is a reason trustee David Baum cited for voting against the change

March 02, 2015 4:08 p.m. | Menomonee Falls — For the second consecutive year, Connor Remodeling & Design has won three gold honors in the 2014 Wisconsin Remodeler's Awards, a landmark achievement in the annual Milwaukee/NARI competition among local remodeling and design companies.

The Menomonee Falls firm collected the contest's highest honors in three categories, including a residential kitchen and two residential baths, as well as a silver award for a residential interior element, which included an elaborate fireplace.

The family-owned company brings more than 50 years of combined professional experience to its designs and manages a broad spectrum of remodeling projects encompassing whole houses, lower levels, kitchens and bathrooms.

March 02, 2015 10:32 a.m. | Germantown — Employee compensation increases for 2015 are on the agenda for consideration at tonight's Germantown Village Board meeting, to be held at 7 p.m. at Village Hall, N112 W17001 Mequon Road.

Also on the agenda is a request by the Germantown Fire Department to fill a vacancy, and discussion on a developer's ageement in tax-incremental financing district No. 4, which includes the Germantown Business Park.

Everywhere you look, there are hangers adorned with everything from the tiniest footed newborn sleeper to your five-year-old son's next Halloween costume. (He'll be going as Spongebob Squarepants). There are more toys than any daycare could ever hope for, with activity tables and baby walkers and that talking puppy every new mom thinks her baby needs to have. And there are even the less glamorous items, like breast pump supplies, burp cloths and diapers.

All of that was more than necessary for Susie Bruns, who said the Germantown/Port Washington Just Between Friends sale has been an incredibly helpful resource for her and her family of five since she started shopping the sale for her Irish triplets in 2008.

"At the time, I was working non-profit and my husband was working as a teacher, (so) we were on a budget," said Bruns, of Menomonee Falls. After a complicated first pregnancy, it was a surprise to Bruns and her husband to find out four months later they were expecting twins.

"I decided to check out the sale and immediately I was hooked," said Bruns, who still shops the sale for her three girls, and now consigns in it as well. "The customer service is fantastic...the team leaders are always walking around talking to the shoppers, putting thing in the hold area, handing out bags and organizing."

All that matters, said senior all-star guard Taylor Higginbotham is this little fact:

"The whole season is important," said Higginbotham, who scored 22 points to lead all scorers, "but now is the time you play for. You want to keep playing. You want to be able to get to another series of practices."

Or in this instance, a rematch at red-hot Arrowhead (18-5) at 7 p.m. Saturday night in a WIAA regional final. Arrowhead, which has a 13-game win streak, edged Germantown, 50-49, back on Jan. 17 and also ended the Warhawks' season in sectional semifinal play in 2014.

"We let that one slip away," said Stuve of the January loss. "It was a lesson learned. We're a little better right now, but they may be the best team in the state right now. They're playing better than just about anybody out there."

Feb. 27, 2015 1:21 p.m. | Germantown — Whole apples, oranges and other fruits and vegetables simply shouldn't be wasted. At least that is the popular opinion of Germantown School Board member Thomas Barney.

For Barney, the concern about how much food is getting thrown away in district schools at lunch time started around the dinner table, where his third-grade son shared what happened that day at County Line Elementary School.

"One of the lunch ladies said to only take as much ketchup and mustard as you need but take two pieces of fruit and throw it away if you're not going to eat it, or something along those lines," said Barney, who was stunned to learn the issue spans in various levels of intensity across all district schools.

"It seems like we're wasting a lot of food, and yet technically what the lunch lady told my son was not incorrect because we have to make sure the students are served enough fruits and vegetables to meet the federal requirement," Barney explained. "I understand the idea is for kids to eat healthier lunches, but I think we're finding there are a lot of kids throwing it away for whatever reason, like maybe they don't like the taste as much."

Following federal, state requirements

Feb. 27, 2015 10:47 a.m. | British pop band Rixton, known for their hit "Me and My Broken Heart," will play a private show for 1,400 students at Menomonee Falls High School today.

Menomonee Falls got the chance to host the concert by winning Goodwill's Fall Haul. It was one of 469 southeasterm Wisconsin high schools to participate in the donation challenge and contributed more than 28,600 items.

Rixton will open for pop star Ariana Grande at the BMO Harris Bradley Center Friday night. They have opened for Grande throughout the North American leg of her "The Honeymoon Tour" in anticipation of their debut album, which releases in March.

"This concert reinforces how important it is to give back to our community," Golla said.

Feb. 27, 2015 10:32 a.m. | Menomonee Falls — Construction will begin next week on the 4,000-square-foot expansion of the emergency department at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin Community Memorial Hospital.

Along with increasing capacity and modernizing the department, CMH Public Relations Manager Rita said the project will facilitate the growth of the emergency department, improve efficiency and increase patient comfort and better accommodate medical equipment.

Plans include a new entrance, larger waiting area and additional exam rooms.

Feb. 24, 2015 9:07 p.m. | Germantown — An overall lack of space is not a new problem at Rockfield Elementary School. But a group of parents said the time is now for the district to take action toward resolving what district officials have for several years acknowledged is an ongoing problem.

Large class sizes and the resulting possibility for teacher burnout were among several concerns raised by Jackson resident Lenny Hanson, who on Feb. 23 addressed the school board on behalf of a growing number of parents in the district.

"My child is in her first year in kindergarten, and my child's teacher will always be the one that says 'oh boy, here comes that big class,'" said Hanson, whose daughter is enrolled at Rockfield.

The school houses the district's early childhood program, which the district had hoped to find a new home for this school year. Though nothing has come together yet, a move would free up the space utilized by about 50 students between the ages of 3 and 5 years old who have special education needs.